Hey all :)
So I'm up nice and early at the moment trying my best to stay connected with Quinnipiac by listening to the semi-final game online. I guess it's more than trying to stay connected because Luke is doing color for the game and in my completely unbiased opinion I think he's doing quite a good job! :)
This weekend I watched my first cricket game and tried to learn the very confusing and kind of awkward looking game. I always thought it was a game similar to baseball but other than having a field, a ball and a "bat" I really didn't see any similarities. My favorite part? They actually stop for tea breaks - how funny is that?! I was watching Sri Lanka and Australia play in a one day game, apparently they normally go on for five days straight! Unfortunately (or not?) it started raining early in the game and they had to stop completely until the rain ceased. Apparently these rain breaks can last hours so a bunch of us went outside for some late night volleyball.
Yesterday a bunch of us got together to make the 45 minute drive to crystal creek, a swimming area as mentioned before that is made out of a bunch of small waterfalls. Prior to leaving it looked very much like rain but we decided a little Australian rain wasn't about to stop us. We also tried to pack lunches from the dining hall and was yelled at by the lunch ladies for "stealing food". I guess during the weekend if we aren't going to be there for lunch we are out of luck and they are not allowed to let us make packed lunches! I was a little stocked.
The drive over was actually pretty nice - but I tend to be a fan of car rides in general. We piled into cars and I enjoyed the scenic views. When we finally got to crystal creek it was raining, but without worry we all made the trek to the rocks and dove into the warm, bath like water. There was quite a bit of current, the rain increasing it's speed, which took us down through some rocks and to this small rock island where some of us hung out for awhile. Soon it was pouring so we gathered our wet towels and clothing. Heading back to the cars someone had the idea of heading further up the creek to a place where there were more waterfalls and some cliffs to jump off. About half of us agreed so we made the decision to leave our belongings in the car and trek back up the creek.
It didn't take long for the American's to realize that when an Australian tells you it's okay to leave your shoes back at the car, never ever listen. Apparently Australian feet are much tougher than ours because as we whimpered in pain from the sharp rocks coating the road most of the Australia's seemed to skip their way across. The cool water at the end of the journey was welcomed by our sore feet. At the new place on the creek we were able to sit on the rocks and the water would rush behind us and send us down the small water falls. We also found an area where people were cliff jumping and although very hesitant at first I was convinced to try. The only thing I could think of was at Sebago this summer when Dad and Dan jumped from the ridiculously high cliff and some how lived - so I sucked it up and jumped. I made the horrible mistake of jumping with someone else which I learned was very bad after I had already jumped. We were told to jump into the clear area then swim swiftly in a straight line towards the white area as fast as possible, the current would then take us around to the side where our friends were waiting to pull us up.
My friends had made this process look so easy so I didn't think much of it, but when I jumped in it was anything but pretty getting out. Emma, the girl I jumped with, jumped closer to the white water and was able to swim in front of me. Bad idea, because I was stuck in the current crashing against the wall, pulling my head under and giving me quite the work out. One of my friends then jumped in and because she knew what she was doing swiftly swam to the white water, leaving me gasping for breath while I waited for yet another person to go in front of me. I was beginning to feel very tired and scared as the water continued to rush over my head and I was being pushed up against the rocks. All of the sudden I heard one of my friends yell "Guys, Sara is getting really tired!" so I knew someone was paying attention and kicked myself off the rocks and swam like a crazy person towards the white water. I looked up and saw my friend's out stretched hand and grabbed on as he literally yanked me from the water. I looked like a beached whale as I panted and laid on the smooth rock surface, trying to catch my breath.
I made that sound very dramatic, but it really wasn't that bad. I think it felt worse because I really don't have much experience with currents so I felt I was in a scarier situation than I actually was. Regardless, my friends were watching me the whole time and I was told my RA was ready to dive in at a moments notice if it looked liked I needed help.
After the cliff jumping the rain began to get heavier and out of fear our cars would get stuck in the banks of the creek we decided to call it a day and grab some ice cream down the street. All and all it was a great day and the rain actually made it fun. We all agreed to come back on a sunny day so we could spend the whole day basking on the rocks, but regardless the rainy day trek was completely worth it. I was absolutely in love with the warm rain, and as we walked back to the cars the amazement of being in Australia hit me. It seems to do that, at the most random times - but when I truly am aware of where I am and what I'm doing I get overwhelmed in the most amazing way, realizing all the new experiences I'm having and how truly lucky I am to be having them.
The night ended in warm showers, a quick run to the gym and cake for my friends birthday. I left the others pretty early in determination to get started on my large amount of reading. I was impressed by my productivity and read over 100 pages for environmental history before passing out in bed. Today I will finish the rest and hopefully head to the river after lunch for a nice relaxing afternoon.
Love and miss you all <3
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